Re: python-mode patch

[Nick Roberts]

 > Anyway, it seems that essentially *nobody* is using python-mode from
 > CVS Emacs. 

I think it's only safe to assume no one is currently developing python-mode.

 >            There are two reasons, I imagine. First, it isn't all that
 > usable ATM -- there is quite a number of annoying quirks and things
 > that do not work as well as they should. Most of them seem to be minor
 > and not too difficult to fix, though, as the code is pretty clean.
 > 
 > The other reason, probably even important, is that there is another
 > python-mode, at http://sf.net/projects/python-mode

Doesn't this mode only work with XEmacs?

 > "Our" python-mode has one important advantage, however: it uses comint
 > for running Python interpreter, while the other one seems to have
 > ad-hoc code for talking to the Python. Therefore I do not think it is
 > a good idea to give up developing our version.

The other python-mode uses something called pdbtrack.  Can that be made to work
with Emacs?  (Perhaps Ken Mannheimer can elucidate).  I am interested in
improving pdb in gud.el but don't know enough about python.

 > Taking it into account, I would like to become a maintainer of
 > python-mode. I would also like to try and fix as much as possible (due
 > to lack of my time it may not end up being all that much, though)
 > before the release. It should not cause any real problems since, as I
 > said, nobody appears to be using the mode currently.

It will be a problem if you accidentally remove features that you are not
aware of.

 > And it is important to have a *working* mode for the release, if it is
 > to ever gain a reasonable user base.

Others seem to think it does work reasonably well.  Perhaps they can review
your proposed changes.

 > One problem I have is about naming, as it is more than a little
 > confusing right now. "Our" mode is called python-mode, distributed in
 > file python.el, and uses commands starting with python-. The other
 > mode, originally developed by Tim Peters and maintained now (I think)
 > by Barry A. Warsaw is also called python-mode.
 > 
 > It would be good to have unambiguous way of talking about those modes.
 > Does anyone have a suggestion how to avoid confusion?
 > 
 > Would saying "GNU python-mode" make sense?

On this mailing list if you say python-mode, we would assume you mean the
one in the CVS repository.

-- 
Nick                                           http://www.inet.net.nz/~nickrob